#four4soaring

Growing up, I didn’t want to stand out — I wanted to disappear into the background.

In Breaking | Building | Belonging, I describe trying to dress like someone no one would notice… more Skippy from Family Ties than Alex P. Keaton. When most of your clothes come from “the Big S” — my nickname for the Salvation Army — and more than one shirt buttons the wrong way, blending in feels like survival.

Crooked teeth, threadbare jeans, shoes with worn-out soles — all of it made me an easy target. I just wanted to be awkward, harmless, someone nobody noticed long enough to laugh at.

This clip takes you back to those moments in Chapter Three where trying to blend in felt safer than being seen.

Want more ways to soar?

👉 Explore the book, sample chapters, behind-the-scenes readings, and all platforms here: https://linktr.ee/fourforsoaring

Does anyone else sneak in pop culture nods and 80s song lyrics into their writing—or is that just me? 👀✨

This moment from my memoir Breaking | Building | Belonging pulls from The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me—because sometimes life feels like it has its own soundtrack. 🎶

I grew up with 80s lyrics in my head — so of course they found their way into Breaking | Building | Belonging: Why the Voices We Follow Matter. 🎶

This scene? Straight from a Human League line… woven into my story about timing, resilience, and the voices that shape us.